“Right you are. Where is that red-headed friend of ours?”
“Out visiting,” grinned Don. “That boy surely has a multitude of friends!”
Terry returned to the room just before the lights went out and brought some news with him. But before he told them the news he played one of the tricks of which he was so very fond. When he approached the room he tapped on the door sharply, turned the knob and stepped briskly into the room. Imitating to perfection the tones of Officer of the Section he called out:
“Attention, gentlemen! Stand at attention for inspection, please!”
Once a day their rooms were rigidly inspected and although the officer of that section was not in the habit of calling them to attention so pointedly the boys fell into the trap. Terry’s voice was so like that of the officer that the two boys put down their books, leaped to their feet and were just about ready to stand at attention when they caught sight of the grinning face of their friend.
“Ho, ha!” roared Terry, seeing the look of disgust on their faces. “Wasn’t that a pretty picture? I almost expected you to salute, gentlemen!”
“We’re going to salute you so that you won’t sit down for some time to come,” growled Jim, moving around the table with his chemistry book in his hands. Don leaped at Terry and bore him to the bed. The red-head was too weak to offer any resistance and Jim paddled him vigorously with the book, until he cried for mercy.
“I just heard something that will interest you,” Terry said, when the fooling had stopped.
“What is it?” asked Jim. “Out with it, or we’ll paddle you some more!”
“The Gates family has moved out of town!” Terry said.